A lieutenant colonel and his partner are suspected of illegally claiming "combat" allowances
The deputy commander of a military unit in Zaporizhzhia and his civilian wife have been notified that they are suspects in a case involving the alleged illegal accrual of financial allowances and payments for purported combat missions. According to the State Bureau of Investigations and the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense in the Eastern Region, the woman was paid approximately 1.3 million hryvnias over nearly three years.
According to investigators, in 2023, the lieutenant colonel assumed the position of deputy battalion commander at a military unit in Zaporizhzhia and helped his partner enlist in his unit. She signed a contract and became the squad leader of a communications platoon.
Investigators claim that after the unit was deployed on combat missions in the Zaporizhzhia sector, the female soldier remained at home in Pryluky. From May 2023 to April 2026, according to the investigation, she only visited the Zaporizhzhia region periodically and spent a total of 142 days there. Despite this, she was regularly paid her salary and additional allowances for allegedly performing combat missions.
The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) stated that during this period, the woman was engaged in household chores and blogging, and handled certain work-related matters remotely. According to the investigation, the lieutenant colonel concealed her absence from the unit, facilitated the preparation of documents containing false information, and ensured the continued payment of her benefits. Additionally, according to the investigation, he failed to inform his superiors about his intimate relationship with the female service member.
The investigation established that at the time they began living together in 2021, the woman was a citizen of the Russian Federation and held a temporary residence permit in Ukraine. She obtained Ukrainian citizenship in 2026, after which she resigned from military service. At the same time, according to law enforcement officials, her Russian passport remains valid until 2030.
The lieutenant colonel is charged with aiding and abetting evasion of military service, abuse of official position, and the preparation and issuance of knowingly false official documents. Her partner is suspected of evading military service and aiding and abetting the abuse of official position. The court imposed personal recognizance as a precautionary measure for both suspects. During the searches, law enforcement officers seized documents, cell phones, a car, a Russian passport, an automatic firearm, four magazines, and over 1,100 rounds of ammunition; the seized property was placed under arrest.
